Potential advantages associated with aerial seeding or sowing are well-known in the agricultural industry. However, in spite of the potential, systems for aerial seeding are not well designed to exploit those advantages. Existing systems fall into generally two categories: systems based on crop dusting technology utilizing modifications to nozzle/sprayer systems intended primarily for liquids/pesticide application, and passive systems that utilize buckets, chutes or similar structures and which rely primarily on the turbulence surrounding the aircraft in motion to distribute the seeds.
One challenge in creating an effective aerial seeding system is that in most countries modifications to licensed aircraft, such as airplanes and helicopters, must be approved by a governmental agency to ensure safety and airworthiness. In the United States, the agency is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under FAA regulations, not just modification, but also addition of equipment must meet stringent approval requirements. Thus, while the patent literature contains numerous different design proposals for seeding systems, few of these are practical or even useable due to the fact that they require either an entirely new aircraft or extensive changes, additions or modifications to be mounted and flown in an existing aircraft.